Kinky for Governor

Just in time to add to the excitement surrounding the 2010 elections, Kinky Friedman has announced that he will run for Governor of Texas as a Democrat in 2010.

In a sharp worded statement, Friedman blasted Governor Rick Perry, accusing him of corruption and ill will during his ten-year span in office. Addressing criminal justice reform, DailyBeast reports Friedman charged that, "He fast-tracked the execution of this innocent guy, Cameron Todd Willingham. That’s blood on his Christian hands [...] There are plenty of innocent people in this corrupt justice system, but Rick is more concerned with protecting that system."

Now that puts some spunk into a race which so far has been a dead-winded uninspiring image-conscious campaigning of Governor Perry and U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Both Republicans are well known to be deeply connected to the neo-conservative political machine.

Kinky, who garnered 13% of the gubernatorial vote in 2006 as an independent, won fame for his trademark humorous style and stature, often adorned by a signature black cowboy hat and a protruding unlit cigar. Richard "Kinky" Friedman first won recognition in the 1960s and 1970s as a country western musician and humorist. His most popular outfit, the Texas Jewboys, cultivated renown for their whimsically satirical fun-loving tunes.

Kinky the politician, a self-styled populist holds moderate views based on fiscal responsibility, the promotion of alternative fuels, combating political corruption and advocating personal freedom. During the 2006 Texas Gubernatorial debates he repeatedly called for the legalization of gambling on games of chance in Texas.

Earlier this year, Kinky divulged his interest in running for Governor in 2010 when he implied in an interview that celebrity actor Al Franken's close win over incumbent Norm Coleman to take a U.S. Senate seat in representation of Minnesota proved the ability for any "nobody" as himself to run and even win.

And so Kinky will do so. It is unclear what other ambitions could lay wake in Kinky's improbable but very possible bid to the charred Texas Governor's Mansion. But one thing is for sure, Kinky is in the race and his passionate vision for the future of Texas will at last become apparent.